Offspring receive two sets of the same gene for every characteristic, one set from each parent.

Here's why:

* Diploid Organisms: Humans and most other organisms are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes.

* Homologous Chromosomes: Each set of chromosomes comes from one parent. These chromosome pairs are called homologous chromosomes, meaning they carry the same genes in the same order.

* Alleles: Each gene on a chromosome has two copies, called alleles. One allele comes from the mother, and the other from the father.

So, for example, if a gene for eye color is located on a specific chromosome, an offspring will inherit one allele for eye color from their mother and one from their father. This combination of alleles determines the offspring's eye color.